EXILES SENTENCE POLICE TO EXIT
NEWPORT boss Mike Flynn expressed disappointment, despite his side seeing off NonLeague hosts Met Police at a rain-sodden Imber Court.
Padraig Amond and Jamille Matt scored the goals needed to send County into round two, ending the Blues’ fairy-tale run in the process.
But Flynn felt his side were some way off the standards they have set in League Two over recent weeks, so was in little mood to celebrate their progress.
“The fact we are through is the only positive along with a clean sheet because I thought we were poor,” he said
“The important thing is we are through, there’s a little bit more money for the football club and hopefully we get a home draw.”
“I wanted to see everything we have been doing. The tracking runners, the closing down, the pressing and the way we move the ball quicker.
“It wasn’t just out of possession it was in possession, too. Let’s not dress it up we should have scored eight.
“It shows how far we’ve come that I’m disappointed even when we’ve won.”
An early chance for leading scorer Jack Mazzone suggested the Blues weren’t overawed and prompted by the Ethan Chislett they created a number of first-half chances.
Max Blackmore stabbed a close-range effort just wide and Chislett saw a stinging effort beaten out by County goalkeeper Joe Day.
At the other end, Amond carried the threat for Newport, hitting the outside of a post with a shot and having a header ruled out for offside.
The frontman wasn’t to be denied however and from the next corner his downward header squirmed beyond Williams to put the visitors ahead.
Even then Met Police should have gone in level, Day somehow clawing Blackmore’s header up and over the bar.
The miss looked doubly costly when County struck again three minutes after the break. Tyreeq Bakinson worked hard to find a yard in the box and though his shot was parried by Tommy Williams, Matt followed in to score.
The hosts never gave up, but the winning margin may have been greater, substitute Antoine Semenyo seeing an effort ruled out for offside.
Police manager Gavin MacPherson, who saw midfielder Louis Birch sent off late on was left to reflect on what might have been.
“I just feel we needed to take one or two of those chances we created in the first half,” he said. “Had we taken those we could have had a different story on our hands.
“For once my forwards didn’t quite function, but they have been magnificent all season.”